Torsionally operated door closure



Nov. 8, 1966 A. R. COSTANTINI ETAL 3,284,120

TORSIONALLY OPERATED DOOR CLOSURE Original Filed Sept. 12, 1,963

5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR-S' ANTHONY R. COSDVVT/N/ ANTHONY 0/ ANGEL US ATTORNEY Nov. 8, 1966 A. R. COSTANTINI ETAL 3,234,120

TORSIONALLY OPERATED DOOR CLOSURE Original Filed Sept. 12, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 $5. v r/az BY "60 M ATTORNEY Nov. 8, 1966 A. R. COSTANTINI ETAL 3,

TORSIONALLY OPERATED DOOR CLOSURE Original Filed Sept. 12, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 6 J1EE a! 1 6. t ll) duunlcm INVENTORS ANTHONY R. cvsrA/vr/M ANTHONY olA/vaaus Nov. 8, 1966 R. COSTANTINI ETAL 3,

TORSIONALLY OPERATED DOOR CLOSURE 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Original Filed Sept. 12, 1963 INVENTORS ANTHONY R. (05 7AN7'7/V/ ANTI-ION) D/ANGELUS ATTORNEY Nov. 8, 1966 A. R. COSTANTINI ETAL 3,

TORSIONALLY OPERATED DOOR CLOSURE Original Filed Sept. 12, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS ANTHO/VVR. COSTA/VT/N/ ANN-ION) D/A/VGELUS BY a M ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,284,120 TORSIONALLY OPERATED DOQR CLOSURE Anthony R. Costantini, Lafayette Hill, and Anthony D1 Angelus, Manna, Pa., assignors to Victory Metal Manufacturing Company, doing business as Victory Metal Manufacturing Corporation, Plymouth Meeting, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Original application Sept. 12, 1963, Ser. No. 308,476. Divided and this application Dec. 23, 1964, Ser. No. 420,542

2 Claims. (Cl. 292268) This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 308,476, filed September 12, 1963.

This invention relates generally to door closing mechanisms, and more particularly, relates to a door operating assembly including a torsion rod structure which is concealed within the door and disposed along the hinging axis, being rendered effective by securement both to the door structure and to the physical support which mounts the door.

While torsion rod assemblies are not in themselves new, the assembly according to the present invention is extremely simple in structure, is incrementally adjustable to provide varying torsion ranges and may be incorporated directly into the pintle of the hinge structure by means of which the door is swingably supported from a door post or jamb, the provision of such a structure constituting a principal object of this invention.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel door lockout mechanism operative to hold a door in its opened poistion against the return force exerted thereupon by the aforesaid torsion rod system, the door lockout system including an override catch which may be readily disengaged by the application of suitable closing force to the door, the amount of closing force required being somewhat more than that exerted by the torsion rod closing device alone.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a novel torsional door closing device and overridable lockout structure as aforedescribed together with a restraining device operating in conjunction with the lockout mechanism to prevent more than a predetermined degree of door opening swing.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become clear from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with an examination of the appended drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 illustrates in fragmentary perspective view a refrigerator door and its supporting hinge bracket structure secured to and carried by the door frame portion of a cabinet, as would be seen with the door opened at substantially 90 from its closed position;

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional view taken through the vertically extending inner edge of the door of FIG- URE 1 and its supporting hinge bracket structure as would be seen when viewed in the plane indicated by the lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged exploded perspective view of the hinge bracket and torsion rod assembly removed from the door structure but otherwise shown in the relationship corresponding to the door position of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 illustrates a bottom view looking upward at the lower hinge bracket and combined door restrainer and lockout mechanism as would be seen with the door of FIGURE 1 swung into its closed position;

FIGURE 5 is similar to the showing of FIGURE 4 excepting that it illustrates the relative positions of the parts with the door opened out as shown in FIGURE 1 and with the lockout mechanism engaged to hold the door in its opened position;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view as would be seen when viewed along the line 66 of FIG- URE 4 taken through the hinge bracket pivot and the lookout and restrainer mechanisms;

FIGURE 7 illustrates a bottom view looking upward at the lower hinge bracket and a modified form of combined door restrainer and lockout mechanism as would be seen with the door of FIGURE 1 swung into closed position in the manner previously illustrated in the showing of FIG- URE 4;

FIGURE 8 is similar to the showing of FIGURE 5 but in connection with. the modified form of door restraine-r shown in FIGURE 7;

FIGURE 9 illustrates the door restrainer of FIGURE 7 extended into a second detent position beyond that illustrated in FIGURE 8;

FIGURE 10 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken through the hinge bracket pivot and the modified restrainer and lockout mechanism as would be seen when viewed along the line Ill-10 of FIGURE 7, and is comparable to that of FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 11 is an exploded perspective view, similar to that of FIGURE 3, of a modfified form of hinge bracket and torsion rod asse bly removed from the door structune but otherwise shown in the relationship corresponding to the door position of FIGURE 1; and,

FIGURE 12 is a vertical sectional view as would be taken similarly to that of FIGURE 2 but with respect to the modified form of hinge bracket and torsion rod shown in FIGURE 11.

In the several figures, like elements are denoted by like reference characters.

Referring now to the figures, and first to FIGURES 1 to 3, there will be seena hollow door designated generally as 30 including a channel type peripheral frame 31 having secured to the inside peripheral face thereof a gasket 32. The rear of the door 30 is closed by a door liner 33 which holds in place the insulation 34 within the door interior. The door 30 is supported in the manner to be described by a top hinge bracket 35 and bottom *hinge bracket 36 secured to the door frame 37 of the cabinet by means of screw fasteners 38 projected through slots 39 in the respective vertical legs 35a and 36a of the top and bottom hinge brackets 35 and 36.

The horizontal leg 36b of the bottom hinge bracket 36 is provided with a knurled aperture 40 punched therethrough, and upward through which is projected a stud 41 formed with a knurled collar 42 which jam fits into the knurled aperture 40 to hold the stud in position so that the sleeve 43 of low friction material may be projected downwardly over the stud pivot pin 44. The horizontally extending bottom edge of the channelframe 31 designated as 31a, is apertured to receive the sleeved pivot pin, as best seen in FIGURE 2, so that the door 30 can swing about a vertical axis passing through the pivot pin 44 with the weight of the door being carried by the bracket 36. The sleeve 43 is of course flanged as at 43a so that the door bottom channel part 31a does not come into metalto-metal contact with the underlying horizontal leg 36b of the bottom hinge bracket, this being best seen in the showings of FIGURES 2 and 6.

The hinge connection at the upper end of the door 30 is formed by the top hinge bracket 35, a hinge bracket part 45 secured within the door 30 to the channel frame 31 near the top of the door, and a cylindrical pintle 46. The hinge bracket 45 secured within the door channel 31 as by means of the screws 47 is a generally F-shaped bracket when viewed from the side including a vertically oriented plate 45a and a pair of spaced apart horizontally projecting generally square arms 45b centrally vertically circularly apertured as at 450 so that the cylindrical pintle 46 is pnojectable rotatably close fittin-gly therewithin, as is also best seen in FIGURE 2.

The upper end of the cylindrical pintle 46 has formed thereon or physically rigidly affixed thereto a square sided nut 46a of smaller transverse size than the diameter of the cylindrical pintle 46 so that the nut 46a may pass upward freely rotatably through a hole 48 cut through the top door channel 31b and into close fitting keyed engagement within a square hole 49 shaped complementally to the nut 46a and cut through the horizontal leg 35b of the top hinge bracket 35. The cylindrical pintle 4-6 is locked to the top hinge bracket 35 by means of the bolt 50 which is threaded into the nut 46a at the top of the pintle. Since the pintle is free to rotate within the apertures 450 of the door carried hinge bracket 45, it will be understood that bracket 45 swings axially about the fixed pintle 4-6 whenever the door 30 is swung open or closed.

The torsion rod door closing system is formed by the fixed cylindrical pintle 46, the torsion rod 51 having upper and lower loops 51a and 51b respectively, and the anchor block 52 secured to the vertically extending door channel frame portion 31c proximaate the bottom end thereof by means of the bolts 53 and 54. The torsion rod upper loop 51a is projected upward into a receiving slot 46b extending diametrically and axially upward from the bottom end of the cylindrical pintle 46, and the lower loop 51b of the torsion rod 51 is secured tightly against the anchor :block 52 by projection of the loop 51b over the shank of the bolt 54 and securement thereon by means of a flat washer 55 and nut 56 threaded onto the end of the bolt 54. Thus, with the lower end of the torsion rod 51 fixedly secured to the door frame 31 and with the upper end of the torsion rod fixedly secured to the fixed hinge pintle 45, it is clear that the torsion rod may be so installed within the door that it is in a substantially untorsioned state when the door 30 is closed against the cabinet door frame 37, and that subsequent opening of the door will torsion the rod 51 in such sense that upon release of the door the torsional force exerted will act to close the door and reduce the torsion on the rod.

The torsion in the torsion rod 51 may be preset in the following way. Before securing the top hinge bracket 35 to the pintle 46 by projecting the pintle nut 46a into the square hole 49 and locking the bracket to the pintle with the :bolt 50, a handle device may be projected downward through the square hole 49 and into threaded engagement with the nut 46a. The handle device may then be turned through as many 90 turns as desired to pre-torsion the rod 51. When the desired degree of torsion has been established, the top hinge bracket 35 is moved downward so that the pintle nut 46a is projected into the square hole 49 to thereby lock the pintle against counter rotation when the handle device is thereafter reversely turned out of threaded engagement with the nut 46a. The bolt 59 is now projected into the nut 46a and tightened down to secure the pintle 46 and top hinge bracket 35 together. It will be appreciated of course that the nut 46a need not be of square shape, but could be just as readily made in the form of a triangle, hexagon, octagon or any other shape, provided that the hole 49 in the top hinge bracket 35 is formed so that a keyed or locket relationship between the pintle and the hinge bracket is always obtainable.

Considering now the door restraining and lockout devices of FIGURES 4 to 6, it is observed that a rigid strap element 57 is pivotally secured at one end thereof to the bottom hinge bracket 36 by means of a nut and bolt 58. The rigid strap 57 closely underlies the bracket 36, as best seen in FIGURE 6, and then is upwardly stepped as at 59 so that the remaining portion 60 fairly closely underlies the door channel frame bottom leg 310, the portion 60 of the rigid strap 57 being longitudinally slotted as at '61 and provided with an end region aperture 62 longitudinally aligned with slot 61 but unconnected therewith. Disposed within the slot 61 and substantially equal in thickness thereto is a slider 63 through which is vertically projected a bolt 64 which is threa-dedly engaged into a fitting 65 fixedly secured to the door frame lower leg 31a.

Also fixedly secured to the door frame bottom leg 31a and projecting downward therethrough is a bullet catch casing 66 within which is vertically shiftably disposed a springl-oaded bullet catch 67, the mounting of the bullet catch and casing being such that the bullet catch 67 projects into the longitudinal slot 61 of the rigid strap portion 60 immediately adjacent to the bolt 44.

As best seen in FIGURES 4 and 6, when the door 36 1s closed against the frame 37 the rigid strap 57 is disposed so that the bolt 64 and bullet catch 67 lie within the longitudinal slot 61 at the end of the latter closest to the stepped portion 59. On the other hand as best seen in FIGURE 5, when the door 30 is opened out away from the door frame 37 the rigid strap 57 shift-s so that the longitudinal slot 61 moves smoothly past the slider 63 and bullet catch 67 until the latter abuts the bridge 68 which separates the slot 61 from the end aperture 62. Continued outward opening motion of the door 30 causes the bridge 68 to cam the bullet catch 67 upward into its casing 66 against the spring biasing pressure so that the bullet catch 67 overrides the bridge 68 and then snaps outward into the end aperture 62, as is most clearly seen in the showing of FIGURE 5. When the bullet catch 67 snaps outward into the end aperture 62 the slider 63 simultaneously comes into abutment with the side edge of the bridge 68 forming the end of the longitudinal slot 61 to thereby prevent further motion of the rigid stra 57 relatively to the slider 63 and hence prevent further opening motion of the door 30. If the door is now released, the torsion rod system previously described exerts a door closing force upon the door 30 but motion is prevented by the bullet catch 67 which is disposed within the end aperture 62. In order to close the door, suflicient additional force must be exerted against the door to cause the bridge 68 to cam the bullet catch 67 upward into its casing 66 and permit the bullet catch to ride over the bridge 68 and into the slot 61, the torsion rod system thereafter exerting suflicient force to close the door 36 without further aid. The bullet catch 67 and the end aperture 62 in the rigid strap 57 of course constitute the lockout mechanism for the door and are observed to be incorporated into the door restraining mechanism.

Considering now the modified door restraining and lockout device of FIGURES 7 through 10, it is observed that the rigid strap element 69 pivotally secured at one end thereof to the hinge bracket 76 by means of nut and bolt 71 is very similar to the previously described rigid strap element 57 illustrated in FIGURE 4, differing therefrom in the slotted region thereof. The rigid strap 69 is longitudinally slotted with a parallel sided slot region 72 joined at its out end to a pair of in-line circular apertures 73 and 74, the aperture 73 joining the slot 72 at a narrowed opening formed by inwardly projecting cusps 75 and being separated from the circular aperture 74 by a narrow slotted opening 76. The circular apertures 73 and 74 are of a diameter substantially equal to the width of the parallel sided slot regions 72, and the side of the circular aperture 74 diametrically opposite from the slotted opening 76 opens out endwise through a wedge 77 cut through the end of the rigid strap 67. Disposed within the slot 72 and underlying the lower face of the rigid strap 69 is a slider 78 through which is vertically projected a bolt 79 which is threadedly engaged into a fitting 8t fixedly secured to the door frame lower leg, which latter is designated as 81.

As best seen in FIGURES 7 and 10 when the refrigerator door is closed again the frame, the rigid strap 69 is disposed so that the slider 78 lies within the longitudinal slot 72 at the end of the latter remote from the circular apertures 73 and 74. On the other hand, as best seen in FIGURE 8 when the refrigerator door is opened out away from the door frame the rigid strap 69 shifts so that the longitudinal slot 72 moves smoothly past the slider until the latter abuts the cusps 75 which separate the slot portion 72 from the proximate aperture 73. Continued outward opening pressure on the door causes the slider 78 to cam apart the cusps 75 and allow the slider to ride therebetween into the circular aperture 73, this condition being illustrated in FIGURE 8. The door of course will remain in this position until the slider is positively forced back into the parallel slot 72 past the cusps 75.

In the event that an unusually strong opening door force is for some reason applied to the door, the slider 78 may be forced out of the circular aperture 73 and into the aperture 74 through the slotted opening 76. This condition is illustrated in the showing of FIGURE 9 and represents a second lockout or detented position. Any force applied to the door in opening direction in excess of that suflicient to position the door as illustrated in FIGURE 9 will move the slider 78 outward through the wedge shaped opening 77 and completely out of engagement with the rigid strap 69. The door of course may be readily re-engaged with the strap 69 by properly positioning the slider 78 within the wedge shaped opening 77 and then applying sufficient door closing force to move the slider into and through the circular apertures 74 and 73 and into the parallel sided slot region 72.

Consider now FIGURES l1 and 12, which are generally organized in the manner of previously described FIGURES 2 and 3 but which illustrate a modified form of hinge bracket and torsion rod assembly. The top and bottom brackets 135 and 136 which secure the door 130 to the cabinet are mirror image of one another, the top bracket 135 being identical to the bracket 35 shown in FIGURES 2 and 3. The door 130 is similar to previously described door 30 in that it is provided with a channel type frame 131 having a vertically extending leg 1310, and horizontally extending bottom and top legs designated respectively as 131a and 1311). Disposed within the channel frame in flat surface contact with the inside of the horizontal top leg 13112 and vertical leg 131c is an L- shaped angle piece 137 the upper horizontal leg of which is provided with a circular aperture 138 which is concentric with the circular hole 148 cut through the top horizontal leg 13112 of the channel frame 131.

An L-shaped flat bracket 139 is disposed in inverted position with its vertical leg seated fiatwise against the vertical leg of the L-shaped angle piece 137 and with its horizontal leg disposed in downwardly spaced underlying parallel fashion to the horizontal leg of the L-shaped angle piece 137. The horizontal leg of the bracket 139 is provided with a circular aperture 140 of the same size as the aperture 138 in the angle piece 137, the apertures 138 and 140 being co-ax-ially disposed so that the reduced diameter opposite ends 142 of the cylindrical sleeve 141 may be fixedly secured respectively within the apertures 138 and 140 to thereby position the sleeve 141 between the angle piece 137 and bracket 139 when the latter are fixedly secured together and to the door frame 131 as, for example, by means of welding or by machine screw fasteuings projected through aligned holes thereof.

Close fittingly rotatably projectable into the sleeve 141 is the cylindrical pintle 146. The upper end of the cylindrical pintle 146 has formed thereon or physically rigidly afiixed thereto a square sided nut 146a of smaller transverse size than the diameter of the cylindrical pintle 146 so that the nut 146a may pass upward freely rotatably through a hole 148 out through the top of the door channel 13111 and into close fitting keyed engagement within the square hole 149 shaped complementally to the nut 146a and cut through the horizontal leg of the hinge bracket 135. A nylon or other low friction washer 143 is disposed between the undersurface of the top bracket 135 and the upper surface of the top run of the door 131]). The cylindrical pintle 146 is locked to the top hinge bracket 135 by means of a bolt 150 which is threaded into the nut 146a at the top of the pintle. Since the pintle is free to rotate within the sleeve 141 it will be understood that the sleeve swings axially about the fixed pintle 146 whenever the door 130 is swung open or 6 closed. The same type of pivotal support structure is located at the bottom end of the door 130, the hinge structure parts being the same as those just described with the exception that the L-shaped angle piece 137a at the bottom is a mirror image of the corresponding angle piece 137 located at the top of the door. These angle pieces 137 and 137a not only support the pintle sleeves 141 but also materially reinforce and strengthen the structure of the door particularly in the hinge corner regions which must carry the mass load of the door.

The torsion rod door closing structure is formed by the upper fixed cylindrical pintle 146 and the torsion rod 151 having an upper hook formation 151a and a vertically elongated bottom loop 151b. The torsion rqd upper hcok 151:: is projected into hooked engagement with the bottom of the pintle 146 by iprojection into the L-shaped aperture 146]) which locks the torsion rod 151 against rotation relatively to the pintle 146. The torsion rod bottom loop 151b is anchored to the lower end of the door channel frame 131c together with shouldered washer by means of machine screw 154 and nut 15 6. The elongated form of the bottom loop 151b of the torsion rod 151 permits the loop to move vertically on the washer 155 to avoid tension in the torsion rod and on the door frame as the rod contracts axially when the rod is torsioned due to opening of the door 130.

The torsion rod structure just described operates in precisely the same manner as has been previously described for the structures illustrated in FIGURE 2 and 3, and the torsion may be pre-set in the manner also earlier set forth. However, since the pintle structures at the top and bottom of the door illustrated in FIGURES Ill and 12 are exactly the same, it will be appreciated that the torsion rod could be installed so that it is anchored to the door at its upper end and engaged with the pintle at the lower end. Finally, the door may be provided with restraining and lock-out devices, as for example those designated as 169 at both the top and the bottom of the door illustrated in FIGURES 11 and 12, these devices being substantially the same as those previously described in detail in connection with the showings of FIGURES 7 through 10.

Having now disclosed our invention in connection with particularly illustrated embodiments thereof it will be apparent that variations and modifications of our invention may now occur from time to time to those persons normally skilled in the art without departing from the essential spirit or scope of our invention, and accordingly it is intended to claim the same broadly as well as specifically as indicated by the appended claims.

What is claimed to be new and useful is:

1. In combination, a door, and a restrainer and detent device for use therewith, said door being pivotally mounted between opposed fixed supports for swinging movement into open and closed positions about a vertical axis, said device comprising a substantially rigid elongated link member having one end thereof pivotally secured to one of said supports and its remaining portion extending outwardly from said support and secured to a horizontally extending edge of the door adjacent said one support, said link member having a slot of uniform width extending from a point adjacent its pivotal connection to said support lengthwise toward the outer extremity thereof, a slide element secured to said edge of the door and projecting into the slot, said element being in the form of a rigid, non-compressible member of such fixed transverse dimension relatively to the width of the slot as to permit movement of the slotted link member relative to said slide element without any substantial side play therebetween when said door is swung between its open and closed position, said link member being longitudinally kerfed from the outer end of its slot to and through the outer end of the link member so as to bifurcate the same and provide it with a pair of jaws which are normally biased toward one another and may be sprung apart, References Cited by the Examiner said kerf being narrower than the width of the slide ele- UNITED STATES PATENTS ment and said aws being respectively provided with opposed seats for receiving and holding therebetween said 902,730 11/1908 H111 292 268 slide element when it is shifted through the kerf against 5 2,580,495 1/1952 Woods 24-230 the normal bias of said arrnsQwhereby to releasably hold 217261030 9/1956 Scovlne 339 277 said door in open position. FOREIGN PATENTS 2. The combination as set forth in claim 1, wherein 6,330 2/1893 Switzerland said jaws are provided with a plurality of opposed seats for receiving and releasably holding said slide element 10 EDWARD ALLEN P r Exammertherebetween in a plurality of open door positions. I. H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION, A DOOR, AND A RESTRAINER AND A DETENT DEVICE FOR USE THEREWITH, SAID DOOR BEING PIVOTALLY MOUNTED BETWEEN OPPOSED FIXED SUPPORTS FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT INTO OPEN AND CLOSED POSITIONS ABOUT VERTICAL AXIS, SAID DEVICE COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIALLY RIGID ELONGATED LINK MEMBER HAVING ONE END THEREOF PIVOTALLY SECURED TO ONE OF SAID SUPPORTS AND ITS REMAINING PORTION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID SUPPORT AND SECURED TO A HORIZONTALLY EXTENDING EDGE OF THE DOOR ADJACENT SAID ONE SUPPORT, SAID LINK MEMBER HAVING A SLOT OF UNIFORM WIDTH EXTENDING FROM A POINT ADJACENT ITS PIVOTAL CONNECTION TO SAID SUPPORT LENGTHWISE TOWARD THE OUTER EXTREMITY THEREOF, A SLIDE ELEMENT SECURED TO SAID EDGE OF THE DOOR AND PROJECTING INTO THE SLOT, SAID ELEMENT BEING IN THE FORM OF A RIGID, NON-COMPRESSIBLE MEMBER OF SUCH FIXED TRANSVERSE DIMENTION RELATIVELY TO THE WIDTH OF THE SLOT AS TO PERMIT MOVEMENT OF THE SLOTTED LINK MEMBER RELATIVE TO SAID SLIDE ELEMENT WITHOUT ANY SUBSTANTIAL SIDE PLAY THEREBETWEEN WHEN SAID DOOR IS SWUNG BETWEEN ITS OPEN AND CLOSED WHEN SAID LINK MEMBER BEING LONGITUDIANALLY KERFED FROM THE OUTER END OF ITS SLOT TO AND THROUGH THE OUTER END OF THE LINK MEMBER SO AS TO BIFURCATE THE SAME AND PROVIDE IT WITH A PAIR OF JAWS WHICH ARE NORMALLY BIASED TOWARD ONE ANOTHER AND MAY BE SPRUNG APART, SAID KERF BEING NARROWER THAN THE WIDTH OF THE SLIDE ELEMENT AND SAID JAWS BEING RESPECTIVELY PROVIDED WITH OPPOSED SEATS FOR RECEIVING AND HOLDING THEREBETWEEN SAID SLIDE ELEMENT WHEN IT IS SHIFTED THROUGH THE KERF AGAINST THE NORMAL BIAS OF SAID ARMS, WHEREBY TO RELEASABLY HOLD SAID DOOR IN OPEN POSITION. 